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| irst game kind of under your belt as far as a team, not really worrying about myself so much," said | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Apr 27 2016, 03:40 AM (2 Views) | |
| vive123654 | Apr 27 2016, 03:40 AM Post #1 |
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The New York Rangers made the playoffs in 2011, but a quick first-round elimination means there is still plenty of work to do this summer. Zapatillas Nike Free Hombre . Off-Season Game Plan looks at a Rangers roster that has talent, but may also need to cut some salary fat in order to make significant roster upgrades. While the Rangers are known for spending money, theyve also put together a quality core with a lot of homegrown talent. While Brandon Dubinsky, Ryan Callahan, Marc Staal and Dan Girardi are cornerstone pieces for the Blueshirts, the Rangers figure to have enough cap room to be bold when free agency begins. There arent a lot of marquee free agents available this summer, but Brad Richards is one and he could be the Rangers primary target. How aggressive the Rangers can get beyond that may depend on how much money they are willing to pay for players not to play. Wade Redden was demoted to the American Hockey League last season and its difficult to imagine a scenario in which he returns to New York. If the Rangers want to have even more cap room, they could buy out forwards Chris Drury, Wojtek Wolski and Sean Avery, or some combination thereof. The Rangers are fortunate enough that they have the resources to get out from under some of their less desirable contracts and, hopefully, spend their money more wisely this summer. If that means targeting Richards, so be it, but if they cant get Richards, this summer should also be about getting Dubinsky and Callahan signed to long-term deals and other free agent acquisitions can augment the Blueshirts current core, so long as its not a repeat of the summer of 2007 when the Rangers grossly overspent on Scott Gomez and Chris Drury. At least in Richards case, he has a better track record as a point producer and a history with Rangers head coach John Tortorella, so its more reasonable to expect him to produce at an elite level. In years gone by, the Rangers have made big splashes in free agency, whether it was Redden, Gomez, Drury or Marian Gaborik and the results have been, to be kind, mixed, so while it would be nice to land a top player like Richards, the Rangers cant consider any free agent signing to be a saviour. There is a good enough core building in Manhattan that the Rangers could be a playoff team with the right acquisitions this summer, yet they dont have the kind of offensive flair that assures a playoff berth without some savvy off-season moves. GM/COACHGlen Sather/John Tortorella Returning Forwards Player Rating Cap Hit Marian Gaborik 75.33 $7.5M Derek Stepan 69.08 $875K Mats Zuccarello 68.74 $1.75M Wojtek Wolski 67.45 $3.8M Erik Christensen 65.60 $925K Brandon Prust 64.55 $800K Sean Avery 62.75 $1.938M Chris Drury 62.00 $7.05M Free Agent Forwards Player Rating Class 10-11 Cap Hit Ryan Callahan 79.02 RFA $2.3M Vaclav Prospal 73.10 UFA $2.48M Brandon Dubinsky 73.71 RFA $1.85M Brian Boyle 69.84 RFA $525K Artem Anisimov 69.78 RFA $822K Ruslan Fedotenko 67.47 UFA $1.0M Alexander Frolov 65.52 UFA $3.0M A year after scoring 42 goals and a career-high 86 points for the Rangers in 2009-2010, Marian Gaborik delivered 22 goals and 48 points in 62 games last season, playing his fewest minutes per game since 2002-2003. As he slumped down the stretch, Gaborik was playing under 17 minutes a game, a far cry from the 21:15 he played in 2009-2010. It was an undoubtedly frustrating season but, considering his contract and no-trade clause, the Rangers ought to hope they can find suitable linemates that will get him back to elite production. Derek Stepan came straight from the University of Wisconsin into the Rangers lineup and didnt miss a beat, ranking fifth among rookies with 45 points last season. With his responsible two-way play and setup skills, Stepan may be able to move into a bigger role but hes not yet 21, so expectations should remain reasonable as he gets stronger and his game develops. Tiny Norwegian Mats Zuccarello only played half the season with the Rangers, playing just 14:10 per game, but was effective enough, scoring 23 points as well as far-and-away leading the Rangers in five-on-five shot differential per 60 minutes, according to www.behindthenet.ca. Maybe hes destined for a role as a specialist in offensive and power play situations, but Zuccarello has the skill (if not the size) necessary to play in the league. One of the more confounding talents in the league, Wojtek Wolski scored a point-per-game after he was acquired by the Coyotes in the 2009-2010 season, only to open last season in the doghouse, playing three-to-four fewer minutes per game, before eventually getting traded to the Rangers. Wolski didnt do much to salvage his season in New York and ended up with a career-low 35 points. Hes good enough to produce so much more, but who can figure out how to bring out his best night-in and night-out? Under 26, Wolski could be a buyout candidate, as it would come at only one-third of the cost of his contract. Erik Christensen has had some moments with the Rangers, but consistency eludes him as does, consequently, ice time. Hes a skilled player, though its debatable if hes skilled enough to handle a top-six forward role. Given an opportunity to play meaningful minutes on Broadway, tough guy Brandon Prust hasnt disappointed, scoring a career-high 13 goals and 29 points last season while maintaining his combative nature with 18 fights, tied for fourth-most in the league. Developing into a steady player capable of playing a regular shift should make Prust the patron saint of fighters who yearn for a more significant role. Though Sean Avery can still get under an opponents skin, he wasnt nearly effective as an all-around player last season, managing just three goals in 76 games. Avery is an odd fit with the Blueshirts under John Tortorella because Tortorella wont put up with Averys antics and a neutered Avery can go through stretches in which he appears disinterested. Its a fine line, and Avery doesnt always know how to stay on the right side of that line, but hes at his best when hes getting in the face of his opponents, but doing it with some measure of control. As he hits his mid-thirties, its apparent that Chris Drury is starting to wear down. His 2009-2010 season was the least productive of his career, and he followed up with one goal and five points in 24 games last season, a year that was marred by a broken finger and knee surgery. Drurys going into the final year of his grossly-overpriced contract, which includes a no-movement clause, so he could be a buyout candidate. Removing sentiment from consideration, that would be the only way to gain some cap relief on the more than $7-million in cap space (and $5-million in salary) that is owed in 2011-2012. Ryan Callahan scored a career-high 23 goals and 48 points last season, but that doesnt do justice to how valuable he is to the Rangers. For one thing, those totals came in just 60 games, as Callahan missed time in the middle of the season with a broken hand, then missed the last couple games and the playoffs with a broken foot after blocking a Zdeno Chara slap shot. Callahan led all forwards with 1.28 blocked shots per game and hes annually among the hits leaders so, even if there may be some recording issues at Madison Square Garden, its fair to say that Callahan contributes in ways that dont necessarily show up on the scoreboard. Playing hard in all zones for 20 minutes a night makes Callahan a valuable commodity and hes likely due a sizeable raise as a restricted free agent. If Callahan is the heart of the Rangers lineup, the soul would be Brandon Dubinsky, a 25-year-old winger who, like Callahan, has improved steadily and gives the Rangers a consistent effort. Dubinsky scored a career-high 24 goals and 54 points, while leading Rangers forwards with 20:13 of ice time per game, last season. He can play centre (he was the Rangers best faceoff man last season) and wing but, given his size and the premium placed on strong two-way centres, it makes sense to keep Dubinsky in the middle unless the Rangers happen to acquire an elite centre this summer. Veterand forwards Vaclav Prospal and Ruslan Fedotenko may be allowed to test the free agent waters, while Alexander Frolov has reportedly agreed to play in the KHL. Even if the Rangers get long-term deals done for Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan Callahan, there should be cap room available to try and go after a premier free agent forward. Certainly, Brad Richards would be the first choice (and has been rumoured for some time), but Brooks Laich, Ville Leino, Alex Tanguay or Simon Gagne may all warrant consideration if Richards cant be lured to Manhattan. Additionally, the tragic loss of Derek Boogaard does leave the Rangers without a heavyweight enforcer, so if they are inclined to find a replacement, they can look to free agents like Eric Boulton, David Koci, Jay Rosehill or Cam Janssen, particularly if they want to ease the pugilistic expectations on Brandon Prust. Returning Defencemen Player Rating Cap Hit Daniel Girardi 70.33 $3.325M Marc Staal 69.55 $3.975M Ryan McDonagh 66.08 $1.3M Michael Del Zotto 63.46 $1.088M Wade Redden N/A $6.5M Free Agent Defencemen Player Rating Class 10-11 Cap Hit Bryan McCabe 68.15 UFA $5.75M Michael Sauer 64.52 RFA $500K Matt Gilroy 62.76 RFA $1.75M Steve Eminger 60.57 UFA $1.125M It figures that the Rangers, under the bright lights and big stars on Broadway, have a defence that is made up primarily of no-nonsense, reliable types. Dan Girardi continues to improve and is one of the more dependable blueliners in the league, having missed two games in the last four seasons while playing at least 21 minutes per game, up to a career-high 24:35 last season. Girardi scored a career-high 31 points last season, but his primary role is to handle matchups against the oppositions top line. Recording bias may be a contributing factor, but no defenceman had more combined hits and blocked shots than Girardis 431 last season. Marc Staal gets charged with the same task as Girardi, and while hes not the same kind of shot-blocker, Staal has developed into one of the games better shutdown defencemen and ranked fourth in the league with 25:44 of ice time per game. Staal and Jay Bouwmeester were the only defencemen (aside from Ryan Whitney and Mike Green, who missed substantial time with injuries) to have fewer than 30 points while playing more than 25 minutes per game. After easing into the lineup in January, Ryan McDonagh played 20 minutes a night the rest of the way and was very effective in a defensive role, finishing with a plus-16 rating in 40 games. More of that would be just fine for the Blueshirts. Michael Sauer partnered with McDonagh in the second half of the season and they formed a solid defensive pairing, basically giving the Rangers four shutdown-style defencemen, though perhaps a little light in terms of offensive puck-movers. Its been rough transition for Matt Gilroy, who is a good enough skater to be an NHL defenceman, but hes not particularly aggressive and isnt so skilled that he is assured a spot in the lineup. Through his first two seasons, he hasnt seen a great deal of ice time. Perhaps he would with another organization, but otherwise he may just be in the battle for the sixth or seventh spot on the Rangers blueline. Michael Del Zotto, obviously not impressing John Tortorella, was demoted to the AHL for a time in his second season, which could be seen as a bump in the road for his development. Hes a good puck-mover and will use his body, but can make better decisions on the defensive end. Dealing to get Tim Erixon from Calgary ought to improve the Rangers defence going into next season. Erixon, whos father Jan played for New York in the 1980s, has enough experience in the Swedish Elite League that he should be expected to fit in the top six right out of the gate. Depending on the Rangers cap situation, they could use another veteran blueliner, especially one that might be able to help on the power play. Tomas Kaberle, whose value has likely decreased during the postseason, could be a possibility, or perhaps Anton Babchuk, whose big blast from the point might be just as helpful. Returning Goaltenders Player Rating Cap Hit Martin Biron 80.24 $875K Henrik Lundqvist 78.71 $6.875M One of the games premier goaltenders, Henrik Lundqvist has back-to-back seasons with a save percentage over .920, making him one of three goaltenders (Ilya Bryzgalov and Tomas Vokoun are the others) in the league to accomplish that feat. Lundqvist was supposed to get more rest when the Rangers brought in an experience backup, Martin Biron, and 68 games played was Lundqvists fewest since his rookie season in 2005-2006, but a broken collarbone prevented Biron from playing after February 7th. Biron is good enough to start for some teams in the league, so hes a high quality backup, especially when one considers that hes asked to handle maybe 20 starts behind Lundqvist. Top Prospects Player Pos. Team/League Stats Tim Erixon D Skelleftea (SEL) 5-19-24,-3, 48 GP Chris Kreider C Boston College (HE) 11-13-24,even, 32 GP Christian Thomas RW Oshawa (OHL) 54-45-99,+20, 66 GP Evgeny Grachev LW Connecticut (AHL) 16-22-38,+21, 73 GP Dylan McIlrath D Moose Jaw (WHL) 5-18-23,even, 62 GP Carl Hagelin LW Michigan (CCHA) 18-31-49,+21, 44 GP Ryan Bourque C Quebec (QMJHL) 26-33-59,+14, 49 GP Jesper Fasth RW HV71 Jonkoping (SEL) 7-9-16,+6, 36 GP Chad Johnson G Connecticut (AHL) 2.72 GAA, .901 SVPCT, 40 GP Pavel Valentenko D Connecticut (AHL) 5-12-17,+21, 79 GP A first-round pick of the Flames in 2009 that was traded to the Rangers hours before the signing deadline on June 1, Tim Erixon is a 20-year-old with three full years of experience in the Swedish Elite League, so he ought to be ready to challenge for a spot in New York right away. Chris Kreider is a big forward and a fantastic skater, so hes very likely to have a future in the league; how significant he is as an NHL player will depend on how much he develops offensively. Theres no questioning the offensive development of right winger Christian Thomas, who has 95 goals in his last two seasons in the OHL. Hes never going to be big, but his dad, Steve Thomas, wasnt tall either and he surpassed 25 goals eight times in his career. A winger with good size, Evgeny Grachev hasnt developed as quickly offensively, but his second season in the AHL was solid as he led all Connecticut forwards with a plus-21. Depending on what kind of acquisitions/deletions the Rangers make this summer, Grachev could have a good opportunity to make the team next year. The tenth overall pick in last summers draft, Dylan McIlrath is a big, nasty defenceman, who hasnt shown much offensively, but has scrapped 32 times in the last two seasons. His toughness will pave his way to the Rangers lineup, but he can continue to improve the other facets of his game. Carl Hagelin was the leading scorer for National Finalist Michigan; he plays a mature two-way game and may be ready quickly for a shot with the Rangers, but further development in the AHL wouldnt hurt. Speedy Ryan Bourque is undersized and hasnt stayed particularly healthy, playing just 93 regular season games over the last two seasons, but hes skilled and savvy enough that its worth waiting to see how he handles the challenge of moving up a level when the time comes. 25-year-old goaltender Chad Johnsons second AHL season wasnt quite as good as his first and he didnt get much of an opportunity to spell Lundqvist while Biron was injured, but Johnson could be a viable backup. Fast and skilled, Jesper Fasth may need a few years to develop in the Swedish Elite League, but hes already shown enough that he could be a real steal as a sixth-round pick in last years draft. Back in North America after some time in the KHL, former Canadiens prospect Pavel Valentenko had a solid year in the AHL. Its not as if the Bruins are lacking in defensive defencemen but, with his experience, 23-year-old Valentenko could offer another option. Check out a potential lineup on www.capgeek.com, with some major additions and a big buyout: http://bit.ly/m9I1pN DRAFT15th - Nathan Beaulieu, Zack Phillips, Jamieson Oleksiak. FREE AGENCYAccording to www.capgeek.com, the Rangers have approximately $48.5M committed to the 2011-12 salary cap for 15 players. Needs: One top line forward, one top nine forward, two defencemen. What I said the Rangers needed last year: One first line forward, one top nine forward, one top pair defenceman, backup goaltender. They added: Derek Stepan, Ruslan Fedotenko, Alexander Frolov, Michael Sauer, Martin Biron. TRADE MARKET Marian Gaborik, Wojtek Wolski, Sean Avery, Erik Christensen, Michael Del Zotto, Matt Gilroy. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. Hombre Nike Air Max 90 Hyperfuse Essentia Training zapatos blancas/grises .ca. Hi Kerry, This may sound like a silly question but Im watching Anaheim and Vancouver Monday night and during a stoppage of play, I noticed that when the linesman Brian Mach No. Mujer Nike Air Max 90 Flower Print Series-Floral Flower Art Rose/rosas/negro/blancas/grises .S. http://www.nikebaratasoutlet.es/nike-air-max-1/nike-air-max-1-hombre.html . -- Cleanthony Early scored 19 points and Tekele Cotton added 14 as No.The Atlanta Braves try to avoid falling into an 0-2 hole on Friday when they play Game 2 of the National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Turner Field. It wont be easy, though, as the Braves face righty Zack Greinke, who was 15-4 this season and pitched to a 1.58 ERA in 12 starts since July 30. Greinke also won 12 of his final 14 decisions and was 7-0 with a 1.95 ERA over his last 10 starts on the road. "You feel good when Zack is pitching," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "If we can put some runs up for him and make some plays, were going to be in a position to at least be in a close game that youve got a chance to win." Greinke, who went 1-1 with a 6.48 ERA in three postseason starts with Milwaukee in 2011, tossed seven scoreless innings to beat the Braves in his only appearance against them this season, but is 0-1 with a 5.73 ERA in two starts at Turner Field. "Theyve got a bunch of power, and you kind of have to locate your pitches," said Greinke about the Braves. "So I think those are the two main things. If you dont locate them, they could do some damage." Clayton Kershaw pitched Los Angeles to an early lead in this best-of-five set on Thursday, as he put forth a Cy Young-worthy effort with a 12-strikeout performance, and behind an early offensive outburst, the Dodgers were able to steal home field advantage with a 6-1 victory in Game 1. The Dodgers plated five runs over their first four turns at the plate to provide more than enough support for Kershaw (1-0), who cut down the Atlanta hitters one after another in scattering just a run on three hits over a dominant seven-inning stint. The NL-West Champions totaled 11 hits, with nine of them coming off Kris Medlen (0-1). Hombre/Mujer Nike Air Max 90 KPU negro/fluorescente verdes zapatos. The Braves starter lasted just four-plus innings and was charged with five runs -- including a two-run homer to Adrian Gonzalez in the third inning that all but silenced the home crowd for the remainder of the evening. Yasiel Puig had two hits, as did Mark Ellis and A.J. Ellis, who each scored a run and finished with an RBI. Skip Schumaker contributed a sacrifice fly in the first postseason win for Mattingly. "It feels good, obviously to put a win on the board really in a series, try to get that first game kind of under your belt as far as a team, not really worrying about myself so much," said Mattingly. "But feel good about putting a win on the board." The Braves, coming off their first NL East title since their run of 14 straight ended in 2005, struck out 15 times and managed just five hits in Game 1. Getting the call for Atlanta in Game 2 will be lefty Mike Minor, who was 0-4 in five September starts and allowed 18 earned runs over his final 39 innings. Overall, though, he was 13-9 with a 3.21 ERA. "I hate putting labels on guys, especially young guys," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "I think when youve got six, seven years in the big leagues and been successful, thats when I think we should put labels or say this guy is an ace or a No. 1, or youve won some hardware to back it up. But I think Mike Minor is a really, really good pitcher." In five starts versus the Dodgers Minor is 1-1 with a 2.32 ERA. Atlanta won five of its seven regular season matchups with the Dodgers this season. However, these teams havent met in the postseason since the Braves swept the NLDS back in 1996. Cheap China Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China China NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys China ' ' ' |
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7:30 PM Jul 10